Disposable absorbent articles for receiving and retaining bodily discharges such as urine or feces are generally known in the art. Examples of these include disposable diapers, training pants and adult incontinence articles. Typically, disposable diapers comprise a liquid pervious topsheet that faces the wearer's body, a liquid impervious backsheet that faces the wearer's clothing and an absorbent core interposed between the liquid pervious topsheet and the backsheet.
Since their introduction into the market place, disposable diapers have continued to improve regarding comfort, fit and functionalities.
An important component of disposable absorbent articles is the absorbent core structure. The absorbent core structure typically includes absorbent polymer material, such as hydrogel-forming polymer material, also referred to as absorbent gelling material, AGM, or super-absorbent polymer, SAP. This absorbent polymer material ensures that large amounts of bodily fluids, e.g. urine, can be absorbed by the absorbent article during its use and be locked away, thus providing low rewet and good skin dryness.
Traditionally, the absorbent polymer material is incorporated into the absorbent core structure with cellulose or cellulosic fibres. However, over the past years, significant effort has been spent to make thinner absorbent core structures which can still acquire and store large quantities of discharged body fluids, in particular urine. Hereto, it has been proposed to reduce or eliminate these cellulose fibres from the absorbent core structures. To maintain the mechanical stability of the absorbent core structures, small quantities of thermoplastic adhesive material, such as fibrous thermoplastic adhesive material, may be added to stabilize the absorbent polymer material. Resultantly, absorbent structures having the required permeability/porosity, reduced gel-blocking, and that form stable structures in use or transport are provided.
However, it was found that some absorbent core structures with reduced cellulose fibre content, whilst being very thin when not loaded with bodily fluids, may have an increased stiffness when partially loaded or fully loaded, especially in those regions which comprise most of the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article, such as the front region and crotch region of the diaper. Increased stiffness is not desirable since it reduces the absorbent article's ability to conform to the body of the wearer once worn. Furthermore, it was also found that some absorbent core structures which comprise absorbent polymer particles of high absorption capacity swell significantly upon loading with body exudates. As a result, the volume of the absorbent article may increase significantly during use, especially in these regions which comprise most of the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article, such as the front region and crotch region of the diaper. Such an increase in volume may render the disposable article uncomfortable for the wearer. It was also found that some of these absorbent core structures with reduced cellulose fibre content may have a reduced void volume which impacts negatively the liquid acquisition speed.
Therefore, there is still a need for absorbent articles having good liquid handling properties and having an increased flexibility during the whole use of the article and which deliver, in particular a better fit in the wet state.